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No more updates here, and I won't be fixing any broken links. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Power Pop Explosion! 1980-1983: Vol. 1

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! What better way to celebrate than to listen to some Power Pop? I suggest that if you want to make your Valentine happy, then you should burn a copy of today’s playlist and give it to them. They will surely be grateful, and if they’re not, you should look for a new partner! But seriously, today I get to tackle my favorite Rock & Roll genre, and, perhaps my favorite decade of music. Actually, I think my favorite decade is 1976-1985, but I digress.

You may be asking yourself, “Why 1980-1983?” Great question. I’ve got a couple of reasons. The main reason is the sheer volume of artists that were making great Power Pop records in the 80s. When I started sorting the stuff I had, I quickly realized I needed to do the decade in sections. When the decade began, there really was sort of an explosion of Power Pop bands getting signed to record contracts.

This “Power Pop Explosion” probably started in 1978, but it was very much still in full swing by 1980. In the U.S., bands like the Cars, Cheap Trick, Blondie and the Knack were moving a lot of units. In the U.K., Elvis Costello, the Jam, Squeeze and Joe Jackson were doing quite well too. Success breeds imitation, so there were a lot of bands playing jangly guitars, singing three-part harmonies, and wearing their heart on their sleeves.

Another reason I picked 1983 as the cut-off has more to do with another series here at Burn and Shine. I started doing 25-year anniversary compilations in 2008. So the first year in that series was 1984. While I do intend to finish the decade at some point, I wanted to give these years the spotlight here.

As usual, I’ve tried to stay away from some of the most well known songs from the era. There are a lot of great Power Pop Compilations out there and I tried to stay away from the songs that come up again and again. In most cases, when a band or artist is well known, I’ve tried to choose a song from their catalog that is maybe slightly off the beaten path. For instance on today’s compilation, I chose the Cars’ “Don’t Go To Pieces” which was a b-side to their “Gimme Some Slack” single. Of course, I also chose Squeeze’s “Is That Love?” which made it into the Top 40 in the U.K., so I’m not afraid to throw in a bona fide classic! By the way, today’s compilation is made up entirely of artists who featured in the Birth of Power Pop Series. I almost subtitled this one, “The Returning Starters”, but then I couldn’t come up with subtitles for the other three comps, so I just went with the very boring “Vol. 1”. I won’t be doing the track-by-track commentaries this time, but if you have any questions about any of the songs, please fill free to ask me in the comments.

Okay, I thought I had this Divshare thing fixed, but apparently some peeps are having problems downloading this one again, even though over 200 of you have already grabbed it. I put it up on Megaupload and the link is in the post. I'll leave the Divshare link there just in case it starts working again.

Disclaimer

Borrowed from one of my favorite Blogs, PowerPop Overdose:

Any links to anything on this blog are here either because it's something I own, ripped myself and uploaded or I found the links on the web. I do not host anything here in any manner. If you would like any of the links removed, drop me a line and I'll take care of it, ASAP.

About Me

When I first became obsessed with music, seventh grade, I became addicted to making mix tapes. This lasted for several years, even well into the age of CDRs-- I've probably fathered hundreds of mix tapes. I finally came around to CD burning technology, just when mp3s started really taking off, so I shifted toward mix CDRs. It took me awhile, but I eventually fell in love with my iPod. Playlists can be fun, but I still love making a good mix with a time restraint. That's why I decided to start this blog. I'll keep making my compilations and maybe even get a few people to listen to them. Thanks for stopping by.

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"Yes, yes, I know. It's easier to download music, and probably cheaper. But what's playing on your favourite download store when you walk into it? Nothing, that's what. Who are you going to meet in there? Nobody. Where are the notice boards offering flatshares and vacant slots in bands destined for superstardom? Who's going to tell you to stop listening to that and start listening to this? Go ahead and save yourself a couple of quid. The saving will cost you a career, a set of cool friends, musical taste and, eventually, your soul. Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one."